NO COUNTRY FOR OLD FOLKS, OR MAYBE IT IS!!!!

DRIVING IN LAS VEGAS is certainly less confusing than was the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.  We just finished our Camping World rounds and it took a full five days to cover the territory.  The towns are far apart.  It was a fun and interesting drive.We traveled about 700 miles.  We left Mesquite, drove to Las Vegas and spent three nights there.  We had three comp nights in a large hotel on the strip.  It was crowded and noisy and EXPENSIVE.  We could barely afford coffee at the Burger King located in the casino.  This is the first hotel room we have stayed in that did not have a coffee pot.  Coffee delivered to the room was $12 for FOUR cups.  The medium cup at Burger King was $2.00 apiece.  We did not leave any money at the hotel so, we will see if the comps appear again.  We already have them for next month.

LAS VEGAS TO PAHRUMP is a drive of about 60 miles to the west.  Pahrump has 1700 RV sites and the interesting fact is that it is the only city in Nevada where prostitution is legal.  However, we did not see any signs of that sort of activity.  It seemed to be a popular destination for Snowbirds and most of the 1700 spaces were occupied.  The parks there were friendly and happy to see us.  The couple previous to us had done an excellent job and made it easy for us to find our way around and be welcomed at each park.

The Sidewinder Grille in Needles, CA

LAS VEGAS DRIVING is pretty straight forward as there is one road north and south, one east and west and a circular around the city.  There is lots of traffic during rush hour, but we tried to avoid that time and made our rounds in one pretty easy day.  We used the good directions from the previous GWA's and our GPS to get around.  You really don't see the economic problems that plague the city, except the homeless are a presence every where you travel.  There have been many hit by cars as they cross the street.  It is a sad situation and the news reports that the unemployment rate is 29%.  I noticed that in almost every restaurant we frequented that the servers were male.

Guard booth sign says "Hi, I'm Hillary Clinton.
I was hoping to be your 44th President.  Oh well!!  Have a nice day!"

SOUTH TO CAL-NEV-ARI and to three states in one day.  We visited 20 campgrounds in the one day.  They are in clustered in Needles, CA, Mojave, AZ, Bullhead City, AZ and Laughlin, NV.  It has been chilly for a few days and the snowbirds are not happy about it.  Never the less, most campgrounds were nearly full.

THE RETURN TO MESQUITE completed our roundtrip.  There are very nice parks in Mesquite.  There is one we had not seen on the north end of town with 340 spaces.  We like where we are because we are not really into the many activities the snowbird campgrounds plan for their visitors.  Guess we are true nomads.  We also drove north out of town to two parks.  The Arizona border is just on the north edge of town so, we visit AZ once again.

BOO BOO SURVIVED three nights of boarding at a very nice Vet clinic in downtown Mesquite.  They said he was a little hissy at first. but settled in.  He was very happy to see us.  He has been on one of our laps since we returned.  They said he would be welcomed back.  The last time we boarded him in Texas, they asked us not to bring him back.  He does have very bad memories of his several procedure visits to the vet.  We really enjoy our cat.  He does not require walking in the cold early morning and gives a little lovin' when it suits him.  Lots more to come....C, H, and Boo too

EARLY WINTER

SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS and a lot of rain in the desert.  Mesquite looks very pretty now.  When we lived in Colorado, we had a friend who lived in a small town in the mountains and she always said it was so ugly until the snow covered the ground.  I understand what she meant now.  I really hadn't even noticed the mountains much.  They just look like high desert.  BUT, they are so pretty with snow.  Of course, there is no snow here at 2,000 feet, only cold rain and those who have spent the fall here before say that the cold is unusual and early.

HAM, HAM, AND MORE HAM from the 4.99 breakfast in one of the casinos.  Food used to be a real bargain at casinos.  Las Vegas is just out of site with the cost of food now.  We had a breakfast there last year and it was nothing for almost 30 bucks.  Mesquite is kind of a throwback to the past.  Anyway,  we had two giant ham steaks.  With the leftovers, we had ham and beans and a great big breakfast this morning.  We will return to that again.  Also, had a prime rib dinner for $5.99.  It was very good.

PICTURES FROM THE DRIVE AND MESQUITE are finally on their way.  We take a lot of pictures.  More photos later.  Tomorrow we travel to Pahrump, NV via Las Vegas.

Caprock Canyon is a refuge for bison

A roadrunner joined us at the campsite

Campsite at Caprock Canyon

Fort Sumner NM

I guess I'll pay admission next time

Internet At Last

CONNECTIVITY IS A BLESSED GIFT, especially when you have been without for it at least a week.  This park has wifi reception right down the middle of the park, but not on the sides.  We are now in the middle and we are nicely connected again.

THIS IS A NEW TERRAIN FOR US as we are used to trees and grass growing naturally and usually in abundance.  This summer was the exception in Oklahoma as the drought kept it dry and the grass just didn't grow.  Here it is very moonlike and beautiful in a different sort of way.  The buttes and rock formations are a real change for us flatlanders.  When the wind goes to the north here, the sand just blows around.

LAS VEGAS VISITED yesterday as we visited the Camping World stores.  It is a busy city that has weathered the bad economy in the best way it can.  There is new construction and many vacant buildings.  The Strip is just another world away from the life of most of the people in LV.  Many of the work in the industry and it seems to be weathering the storm.

MESQUITE NEVADA is an interesting town with three large Casinos, a population of 20,000 and one Super WalMart.  The are six world class golf courses and a LOT of retired folks.  There is a large Del Webb retirement community to the west of the city.  You wonder how people find this place.  It its located on the main route from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas to Los Angeles.  Interstate 15 is a busy freeway.  The town has suffered from the economy as one large casino complex has closed.  The other three seem busy and we find the food to be priced reasonably and very good.

MORE TO COME in the way of pictures.  C, H, and Boo too  PS  The cat is feeling much better now.

Mesquite AZ

IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, A LOVELY TOWN SPRINGS UP FROM THE DESERT replete with green grass, shiny casinos and lo, a Super WalMart.  We have not been to Walmart yet as we are pooped.  We are settled in Solstice, a motorhome private campground.  They got lost in the economy and lucky us, we get to stay here.  I will get out and take pictures tomorrow.  It was cold last night and up to 70 today, and VERY dry.

GOOD THINGS HERE include 80 stations of free cable, good wifi, and free laundry.  It ticked all my boxes.  We had lunch in one of the casinos today.  It was in a bowling alley inside the casino.  I won a hot dog in a drawing so, guess we will have to go back for that tasty morsel.

THIS IS A TOWN OF 20,000 SOULS and pretty much the same size as the town we left in Oklahoma.  That is about all that is the same.  There are six beautiful golf courses and a large Del Webb retirement community.  Not to mention, many casinos.

BOO BOO is strangely quiet.  He seems to be eating okay.  He just wants to sleep all the time.  Herb thinks he has altitude sickness.  He acts like a depressed cat.  Guess he misses all he porch buddies from the lake.  I am sure they miss us.  Poor Kitties.  More to Come,  C, H, and Boo too